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Weather

1. A TAF contains: TEMPO 1418/1422 6SM -RA BKN015. What does this group indicate?

Why: TEMPO identifies temporary fluctuations in forecast conditions. The time group 1418/1422 means from 1800 UTC to 2200 UTC on the 14th. The temporary conditions are generally expected to last less than one hour at a time and, in total, occur during less than half of the stated period. -RA means light rain, and BKN015 represents a broken layer, and therefore a ceiling, at 1,500 feet AGL. A gradual change is represented by BECMG where that format is used, while a new prevailing condition beginning at a specified time is normally represented by an FM group.
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Weather

2. What is a temperature inversion in the atmosphere?

Why: A temperature inversion is defined as a layer where temperature increases with altitude, which is the opposite of the normal lapse rate. The option describing a decrease with altitude is simply the normal atmospheric lapse rate, not an inversion. The option describing a constant temperature describes an isothermal layer, which is a different phenomenon and not an inversion.
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Weather

3. A remote pilot reviews: KJFK 251755Z 36012KT 10SM FEW250 18/09 A2992. What does 251755Z indicate?

Why: The METAR observation-time group uses the format DDHHMMZ: DD is the day of the month, HH the hour, MM the minute, and Z means UTC (Zulu time). Therefore, 251755Z means the 25th day of the month at 17:55 UTC. It is not local time, and a METAR has no validity period: it reports conditions at the time of observation.
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Weather

4. A METAR reports: KJFK 251755Z 36012KT 1/2SM BR OVC005 M02/M04 A2992. What does 1/2SM mean?

Why: In a U.S. METAR, prevailing visibility is reported in statute miles, indicated by the suffix SM. Therefore, 1/2SM means a prevailing visibility of one-half statute mile. For Part 107 operations, the regulatory minimum flight visibility is 3 statute miles as observed from the control station. Consequently, if the flight visibility at the control station were also one-half statute mile, the normal Part 107 visibility requirement would not be met.
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Weather

5. Why does a temperature inversion often cause reduced visibility for a remote pilot operating near the surface?

Why: A temperature inversion creates a stable layer that suppresses vertical air motion. Because the air cannot mix upward, haze, smoke, fog, and airborne pollutants accumulate beneath the inversion and remain trapped, producing poor visibility at the surface. The updraft option is incorrect because inversions suppress, not generate, vertical motion. The wind option is incorrect because inversions are typically associated with calm or light winds, and increased surface wind would actually help disperse pollutants rather than concentrate them.
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Weather

6. A U.S. military TAF contains: PROB40 2622/2702 3SM -TSRA BKN010CB. What does the group indicate?

Why: PROB40 indicates a 40-percent probability category for the listed forecast conditions during the specified period. The group 2622/2702 means from 2200 UTC on the 26th until 0200 UTC on the 27th. The probability applies only to that stated time window, not to the entire TAF. 3SM -TSRA BKN010CB indicates 3 statute miles visibility, light thunderstorm rain, and a broken cumulonimbus layer at 1,000 feet AGL. Important U.S. note: civilian National Weather Service TAFs do not use PROB40; NWS TAFs use PROB30 as their probability group. PROB40 may appear in U.S. military and international TAFs.
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Weather

7. A METAR reports: FEW020 SCT035 BKN050. What is the reported ceiling?

Why: For aviation purposes, the ceiling is the height of the lowest cloud layer reported as broken (BKN) or overcast (OVC), or the vertical visibility into an obscuration. BKN050 therefore establishes a ceiling of 5,000 feet AGL. FEW020 and SCT035 do not constitute ceilings.
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Weather

8. What is the primary operational risk posed by wind shear to a small unmanned aircraft in flight?

Why: Wind shear is a change in wind speed and/or direction over a relatively short distance. An aircraft passing through the shear can experience sudden changes in its relative airflow. For a small UA, this can cause rapid changes in airspeed, altitude, attitude, or lateral position that may require immediate corrective action. A sustained headwind is not itself wind shear, and wind shear is not characterized by a slow, uniform loss of lift.
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Weather

9. A remote pilot is planning a flight 12 nautical miles from a severe thunderstorm. Which hazard could still affect the small UA at that distance?

Why: The visible cloud is only part of a thunderstorm's hazardous environment. Severe turbulence can extend well outside a severe thunderstorm, and gust fronts or other outflow winds can travel well ahead of the precipitation and visible cloud boundary. A small UA only 12 nautical miles from a severe thunderstorm may therefore encounter major wind shifts, turbulence, or strong outflow despite being outside the visible cloud. FAA guidance calls for substantial separation from severe or intense thunderstorms rather than treating the cloud edge as the hazard boundary.
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Weather

10. Where can a remote pilot get METARs and TAFs before a flight?

Why: The Aviation Weather Center at aviationweather.gov publishes METARs, TAFs, PIREPs and other aviation weather products. It is run by NOAA's National Weather Service, not by the FAA. For a full briefing including NOTAMs, pilots use FAA Flight Service at 1800wxbrief.com. A general forecast does not give aviation products, and DroneZone is for registration and airspace authorization.
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